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XiRCON

Xircon 1.0B4 running Kano 15b8 w/ conio theme loaded on Windows XP.
Original author(s)	Mark Hanson
Initial release	1996 (1996)
Final release	1.0B4 (August 10, 1997; 27 years ago (1997-08-10)) [±]
Written in	Borland C++/Object Windows Library, scripted with Tcl
Operating system	Microsoft Windows
Platform	x86
Available in	English
Type	IRC client
License	Freeware

XiRCON is a discontinued freeware IRC client for Microsoft Windows. After TCP/IP was added to Windows, XiRCON was one of the most popular IRC clients on the platform. The XiRCON client was used for a number of fields, such as library helpdesk, genealogy, and US Naval command. Author Mark Hanson ceased development in 1997.

Adoption

Due to its graphical user interface and ease of use, XiRCON is a suggested client in Learn Internet Relay Chat, Volume 1 (Toyer, 1998). The client received a four-star rating "(better than most, very solid)" from IRCReviews.com, which summarized, "An IRC client that appeals to users of all skill levels." With the proliferation of mIRC computer worms, Steal this Computer Book 4.0 recommended switching to competing IRC clients like XiRCON.

U.S. Navy

XiRCON was approved for military use, and in the US Navy it was more popular than mIRC. In an effort to evaluate how real-time communications boost productivity in US Military command, a 2004 paper by Pacific Science & Engineering Group estimated that 28-50% of command groups used XiRCON.

Post-discontinuation

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After its discontinuation, XiRCON fielded a steadily growing community based around the Kano script, among others. As mIRC progressed it started to include XiRCON features such as multi-server support and visual themes. XiRCON's remaining userbase began to dwindle as mIRC became more stable and popular scripts comparable to Kano were released. A very small community still keeps the program alive via moderating the official IRC channel, #XiRCON on EFnet.

An attempt was made to clone XiRCON by David Gravereaux, who was also the author of the Falcon extension for XiRCON, but has yet to complete it. Gravereaux also wrote a "hack" for XiRCON that allowed it to use any Tcl core v8.1 or higher.

References

1. ^ "XiRCON FAQ 1.0b1.6". Retrieved 26 July 2021. XiRCON is an IRC client written in Borland C++ for win32 that supports tcl.
2. Toyer, Kathryn (1998). Learn Internet Relay Chat. Wordware Pub. p. 86. ISBN 978-1-55622-605-2. Retrieved 26 July 2021. XiRCON is a freeware chat client that boasts it is IRC without limits
3. Fagerland, Snorre (April 1998). Fitzgerald, Nick (ed.). "Murky Waters" (PDF). Virus Bulletin: 7. ISSN 0956-9979. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
4. Lankes, David; Collins, John William; Kasowitz, Abby S (2000). Digital reference service in the new millennium : planning, management, and evaluation. New York : Neal-Schuman Publishers. ISBN 978-1-55570-384-4.
5. Howells, Cyndi (2001). Cyndi's List: A Comprehensive List of 70,000 Genealogy Sites on the Internet. Genealogical Publishing Com. ISBN 978-0-8063-1678-9. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
6. ^ Heacox, Nancy J.; Moore, Ronald A.; Morrison, Jeffrey G.; Yturralde, Rey F. (2004-05-13). "Real-time Online Communications: 'Chat' Use in Navy Operations" (PDF). San Diego, California: SPAWAR Systems Center San Diego: 6 –&#32, 7. Retrieved 2009-06-07. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
7. "Whatever Happened to XiRCON?". Archived from the original on 2005-03-05. Retrieved 26 July 2021. Mark Hanson (aka dwoo) the author is no longer maintaining XiRCON. Actually he hasn't released a new version since 1997.
8. Toyer, Kathryn (1998). Learn Internet Relay Chat. Wordware Pub. p. 86. ISBN 978-1-55622-605-2. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
9. "IRC Clients: Microsoft Windows: XiRCON". IRC Reviews. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
10. Wang, Wallace (6 May 2006). Steal This Computer Book 4.0: What They Won't Tell You About the Internet. No Starch Press. p. 72. ISBN 978-1-59327-343-9. Retrieved 26 July 2021. To stop most IRC worms, switch from mIRC to Visual IRC (www.visualirc.net), XiRCON (www.visualirc.net ), or X-Chat (www.xchat.org).
11. "XiRCON-II". Retrieved 2008-02-09.
12. "Falcon extension for XiRCON". Retrieved 2008-02-09.
13. "XiRCON Tcl 8.1+ hack". Retrieved 2008-02-09.

External links

• Official website at the Wayback Machine (archive index)
• Official script archive at the Wayback Machine (archive index)
• Kano Website
• Gecko's site w. Xircon-related material

• IRC clients
• Windows IRC clients